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Council rezones parcel north of Pioneer Park to MXD after planning commission recommendation; environmental concerns cited
Summary
Council approved rezoning of parcel 11-07-33-402-004 from R3 (multi-family residential) to MXD (mixed-use) following planning commission recommendation and staff reports that environmental constraints limit residential redevelopment.
The Utica City Council voted to rezone a parcel north of Pioneer Park (Parcel 11-07-33-402-004) from R3 (multi-family residential) to MXD (mixed-use), after planning staff and the planning commission recommended the change.
Planning staff told council that environmental site assessments conducted at the site showed contamination from historic uses. Staff said the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) would not support brownfield grants for residential development at the site because of contamination concerns, making residential development unlikely under the current R3 zoning. Rezoning to MXD, staff said, would provide more development flexibility and better align with the city's future land-use plan while preserving the public role in reviewing any subsequent development through conditional-use site-plan review and public hearings.
Planner Amanda (last name in packet) explained that MXD is treated as a special conditional use in the ordinance; any proposed development would return to the planning commission for a public hearing and final approval by the council. She also said the MXD setbacks for buildings abutting residential zones would be more stringent (a 100-foot setback was identified in the staff presentation) than typical multifamily setbacks, which provided additional protection for adjacent homes. Residents from adjacent Shelby Township attended the planning commission hearing to ask questions; staff told council that those neighbors were informed about the change and that there were no Utica resident speakers at planning commission.
Councilmember Torenzi moved to approve the rezoning and O'Donnell seconded. The council voted by roll call to approve rezoning the parcel to MXD; the planning commission's unanimous recommendation for approval was noted in the packet.
The record shows the rezoning vote and staff direction that future development would undergo the standard conditional-use and site-plan review processes, including public hearings. Planning staff advised the council that rezoning would make redevelopment more feasible while giving the city and the public an opportunity to shape future proposals.
